Football: The Sweeper: Mascot on the mat
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Your support makes all the difference.Name: Toby Tyke.
Club: Barnsley.
Appearance: A cavorting, seven foot bulldog, who rarely sticks to his job of promoting harmony between fans.
Crime sheet: Enraged Manchester City fans aired their grievances to David Mellor on Six-o-Six after the dirty dog cocked his leg at them on Boxing Day 1996. When City's fans decided to exact their revenge, Toby did not help his cause by wiping his backside on a toilet roll thrown from the Kop and returning it.
In mitigation, Your Honour: After seeing his side go down 2-0 at home to Manchester United, the pitying pooch, alarmed at seeing the home fans' relegation-bound despondency, did his own version of the Full Monty in torrential rain. Off came his bowler hat and frock coat, leading up to the finale of mooning at a packed ORA Stand.
Other information: To look at Toby Tyke a few months ago, you'd have thought he believed in suffering for his art. Minus an ear, he was the nearest thing a mascot will be to a Van Gogh. Luckily, a few weeks' rest and a plaster quickly fixed the curtailed canine.
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